Drip dryer rods for bathrooms



May 5, 1 959 LAWRENCE DRIP DRYER Roms FOR BATHROOMS Filed Sept. 1, 1955 INVENTOR. EDITH LAWRENCE -%%Q I AiIIH/Vi) United States Patent DRIP DRYER RODS FOR BATHROOMS Edith Lawrence, New York, N.Y.

Application September 1, 1955, Serial No. 531,885

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-1.3)

This invention relates to clothes dryers.

The main object is to provide hingedly mounted bottom bars which can be readily extended to positions in which they will be adapted to support garments, being supported in horizontal positions and having means preventing slipping of the garments off the end of the same.

Still another object is to provide means adapted to swing the bottom bars of the device to an extended position, responsive to opening of the door of a container normally housing said bottom bars.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a device formed according to the present invention.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional views through the device of Fig. 1, showing the means carried by the door for swinging the bottom garment support bars outwardly, said means being shown in different positions during use of the device.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. l-4, the device includes an open front, vertically elongated, rectangular container including a back wall 12, top wall 14, bottom wall 16, and side walls 18. The container is relatively shallow, and is adapted to be attached to a supporting Wall projecting forwardly thereof. It will be understood, however, and is believed sufliciently obvious as not to require special illustration, that the container can be recessed within said wall, to provide a flush mounting of the device.

In any event, the container has a door 20 hinged at 22 to one of the side walls 18 capable of being latched to the container.

Adjacent the lower end of the container, there is provided a lower hinge bar 48 extending transversely of the container and mounted at its ends upon the side walls 18 by means of brackets 50. Receiving the lower hinge bar 48 are sleeves 52, which are rotatable upon the bar 48, as well as shiftable thereupon axially of the bar. Fixed to the sleeves 52 are straight garment support rods 54, provided adjacent their upper extremities with lateral projections 56, and adjacent their lower extremities with lateral projections 58 extending in a direction opposite that in which the extensions 56 project.

The lower garment support rods 54 can be individually swung outwardly of the container and when they are in outward positions, the lower rods 54 are disposed hori- Zontally with the projections 58 extending downwardly to engage the bottom wall 16 of the container, thereby maintaining the rods 54 in their horizontal positions. Projections 56 will now extend upwardly, to provide abutments preventing the garment from accidentally dropping off the end of the bar 54. When the rods 54 are "ice 2 swung inwardly to their housed position, the projection 56 engages against the back wall 12.

Means is provided and carried by the door 20 for initiating movement of the lower garment support rods 54 to their outwardly swung positions, responsive to opening of the door. Thus, there is mounted upon the inner surface of the door 20 a shelf 94, which can be formed from a piece of sheet metal material or the like. The shelf has an inner longitudinal edge formed with an upwardly projecting mounting flange 96 fixedly secured to the door 20, and a folded, upwardly projecting outer longitudinal flange 98. The outer fold of flange 98 is continued into a depending, inclined, longitudinal lip 100 extending the full length of the shelf and projecting from the outer edge of the shelf in the direction of the door 20. The lip 100 is of spring metal material, and is inclined slightly out of a horizontal plane when in its normal, unflexed condition.

By reason of this arrangement, when one has finished using the lower rods 54 for supporting garments during the drying thereof, the rods are swung upwardly to their Fig. 2 position, against the back wall 12 of the container. Then, door 20 is swung to a closed position. The door is shown in Fig. 2 approaching its fully closed position, and it will be seen that the lip 100 is engaged on the underside thereof by the upper ends of rods 54, as a result of which said lip is flexed upwardly against the inherent springability thereof.

When the door moves to its fully closed position as in Fig. 3, the lip moves past the rods 54, and springs back to its normal, downwardly projecting position, being now disposed in back of the rods 54, and being inclined downwardly in the direction of the rods.

On the next occasion on which the door is opened (Fig. 4) the free edge of lip 100 will engage the bars or rods 54, and as the door begins to swing .to open position, will swing the rod 54 outwardly. As soon as the rods move past the vertical, they tend to swing their lower, horizontal positions without further urging by the lip 100, and thus it is seen that with the door fully open, the rods will project as in Fig. 1, ready for use.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may he made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A clothes dryer for extension between horizontally spaced supporting surfaces, comprising support means mounted on one of said surfaces including an open front container, a garment support means carried by said container including a crossbar within the container adjacent the bottom thereof and spaced garment support rods swingably mounted upon said crossbar, the garment support rods being mounted upon the lower crossbar to swing upwardly within the container, said container including a door adapted to close the open front thereof,

a shelf mounted upon and extending transversely of said door, and an inclined lip extending downwardly from the shelf and formed of a springable material, said lip, on closing of the door with said garment support rods extending upwardly within the container, being swingable against the free ends of the rods and being resiliently flexed by the upper extremities of the garment support rods to clear the same, the lip springing downwardly following movement of the same past the garment support rods to engage said rods on the next opening of the door, for initiating swinging movement to the garment support rods out of the container.

2'. A dothesdryer-ctampriing a cabinet with an open front, a hinged door closing said front opening, a bar extending across the interior of the cabinet and secured to the sides thereofiadjacent the bottom thereof, a pair ofispacedrod's swingably'mounted on the crossbar for supported garments: from falling ofi the rods, and a shelf extending across the inner surface of the door, said shelf including a' flexible lip, extendingltherealong, the free ends offsaid spaced rods when in collapsed condition. being disposed inthe'path of movement ofthe flexible lip upon closure of: the door, whereby said lip is flexed andslides over. the free ends of the. rods into' releasable interlocking relation with the rods and in position to move said rods outwardly to operative. position upon subsequent openingmovement of the door.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Barnes Sept. 24, 1895 Mullen Jan. 5, 1904 Wilt Mar. 16, 1915 Gerer Mar. 12, 1918 Dobert Apr. 24, 1928 Foss. July 20, 1937 Graham Mar. 20, 1951 Cashen Feb. 26, 1952 Fogg- May 26, 1953 Kosash Aug. 4, 1953 Evans May 3, 1955 Anderson July 31, 1956 Barker Jan. 22, 1957 

